Oxycontin use and blocked sinuses

Dear Ask The Doctor: Good afternoon: Will snorting oxycontin cause your sinus passage to block up? I have a friend that has been snorting oxycontin on an off for at least three years. He will sometimes use daily (3 - 4 times per day) for an entire two weeks. Other times only a day here and a day there. I wonder if his stuff sinus passage could be the result of snorting oxycontin? He is also allergic to cats (he has one) but his cat allergies did not seem to cause his sinus passage to block this severely.....so, I wonder, could it be the oxycontin?

Dear Sandra: Oxycontin (oxycodone) is a narcotic opioid painkiller. The drug is widely abused, and users have found that if the pills are crushed and then inhaled, it has a faster onset of action and an initial euphoric rush. The dangers of snorting oxycodone are many, ranging from long term problems to those that are immediately life threatening. The symptoms could include runny nose, insomnia, dementia, agitation, sweating, chills, constipation, breathing difficulty and unconsciousness. I would advise that your friend see a doctor and avoid using oxycodone. Prolonged use of oxycodone, like other opioids, leads to a physical dependence on the medication, and abrupt discontinuation of oxycodone is often associated with a significant withdrawal syndrome. Usually a slow taper of oxycodone will avoid most of the symptoms of opioid withdrawal.